video talks

Video Talks mixes expertise in all areas of video, with tips for marketing,  entrepreneurship and running your own business.

This episode focuses on actionable, practical and hugely valuable advice from previous guest interviews – all wrapped up into one cosy episode. It’s also a taster of the show for anyone here for the first time.

In this episode you’ll discover:

• Tom Box talks about the secret to running a successful animation business
• Louise Ford shares the fundamentals of great editing
• Geoff Searle has some practical video advice for businesses
• Will Shears shares the one thing you should do when interviewing people
• Hasraf Dullul on how to expertly market your film or project
• Chris Evans-Roberts on why great attention to audio saves you time in the edit
  
  

Now we’re all working from home a lot more it’s important to give a great first impression.

You set the lighting, checked your background but... have you ever wondered why your laptop camera is such bad quality? Grainy, right? Well now there is a pretty awesome solution.

The full title of this episode is How To Look Awesome On ZOOM, SKYPE, TEAMS, LOOM, SLACK, YOUTUBE,  GOOGLE MEET, WEBINARS, FACEBOOK LIVE , DISCORD , FACETIME... With Your iPhone!

Aidan Fitzpatrick is an award-winning tech entrepreneur and investor based in London. 

In Summer 2020 his company Reincubate developed and released a revolutionary new app called Camo – which turns your iPhone into a state-of-the-art webcam.

He started his professional journey as a software engineer and over the last 20 years has co-founded multiple startups and played an influential role in a number of successful companies.

He’s been UK president of the Entrepreneur’s Organization – helping businesses and startups develop and in 2008 he founded his app data company Reincubate building technology to access data from apps and app platforms.

According to The Wall Street Journal, laptop cameras in 2020 are worse than 2010 models. Camo solves this problem, and then some – by enabling you to use your powerful iPhone or iPad camera as a hugely customisable webcam.

Prepare to blow your Zoom buddies away!

In this episode you'll discover:

• How he became an accidental entrepreneur
• His process for creating software
• How the UK lockdown made him see an opportunity
• How the Camo upgrades the quality of your video
• New & upcoming features for Camo
• How to validate a software product
• How designers, twitter influencers, tech CEOs and investors helped grow the app
• The story behind his company
• Why an iPhone 6 is better than most webcams 
• How Camo is helping influencers, preachers, sales people and fitness trainers
• How to use different lenses
• How old iPads & iPhones become awesome webcams
• How Aidan's first product turned his company into a $1m business - accidentally
• Why this led to winning the Queen's Awards for Enterprise, twice
• Why he thinks virtual backgrounds are ‘low-trust’
• Why he thinks Zoom still has a way to go
• Why he thinks we’re at ‘Day 1' with video
• The apps that help him run his life
• The concept of 'luxury software'
• Why lifting weights is a great form of meditation!

When you’ve shot a video for your client or your business, what happens next? 
Does it sit on a YouTube channel or company website, pushed out as part of a digital campaign and then disappear? 

Repurposing video content can be a great way of stretching footage further. If you have a business, one day shooting can feed weeks of social media content – all it takes is a little bit of strategy and planning.

Dan Norton is an editor and video repurposing specialist based in New York.

Dan’s expertise in repurposing video content enables him to help companies and individuals to stretch their video content further.

After spending 11years at Disney Streaming Services, he also now co-runs Parent Pacifier With his wife Amanda - helping expecting and new parents save time and remove headaches with baby product reviews and parenting tips - via their website parentpacifier.com and their YouTube channel.

In this episode, Dan talks about how to save time by creating long-form videos which can be repurposed for social media. He shares techniques he's learned through years of working in the sports highlights industry and how entrepreneurs and business owners can use simple tricks to make their video content go further.

Show Notes : http://videotalks.co/21

In this episode you'll learn:

• What repurposing video means 
• Starting with live video
• Why answering your top 5 FAQs is a great strategy 
• How to get started with video for your business 
• How to talk to a camera lens as a friend
• How he started a YouTube channel from scratch
• The most powerful traffic driving force on YouTube 
• How unexpected YouTube videos can drive business 
• Why you should start something before you have kids 
• Why becoming a parent is so motivating 
• How businesses will use video in the future 
• Dan's take on the Pomodoro technique 
• Why asking questions can drive people to make comments in social media videos 
• Why he builds in rest time 
• How to plan a repurposing video strategy 
• Video Marketing tips for business

Rob Biddulph is an award-winning author and illustrator who has increasingly used video to connect with his ever-growing audience.

Before turning to illustration full-time, Rob had established himself as a leading designer and art director, winning awards and steering the visuals for some of the UKs most iconic mags including the NME and the Observer magazine. 

Having already caused a storm on social media with his #packedlunchpostits and behind the scenes book development, during the UK lockdown Rob came up with the idea of teaching kids how to draw live online – to help relieve many peoples’ homeschooling stresses. He found a lot of grateful parents!

His #DrawWithRob campaign grew exponentially and led to not only a #DrawWithRob book – another best-seller, but also a Guinness World Record for the biggest audience for a live art class ever – via YouTube. 

Rob delves into the story behind how he got started in writing books and how video has ultimately helped him grow his audience. 

In this episode you'll discover:

• Rob's background in magazines
• How Rob finally found a publishing agent
• How he went from art director to published author
• How the Covid-19 pandemic inspired him to help parents and their kids
• Why you should always learn from your mistakes
• How he broke a world record on YouTube
• Why video channels like YouTube are great for self promotion
• The value of live video
• Why YouTube can directly influence sales
• An insight into the future for his creations
• Rob’s experience as an influencer
• How brands and businesses can use video effectively

Vic Lee is a London-based graphic designer-turned-artist-turned-illustrator, muralist, storyteller, typographer, book publisher and 'wizard of ink’.

His work can be seen on walls across the UK, and thanks to the success of his recent Corona Diary project, now on coffee tables across the world.

He draws in black and white, simplifying the noise we all experience, and injecting his own sense of humour and personality into each piece.

In February 2020 Vic started documenting the Coronavirus outbreak by drawing his experiences – as a way to deal with his own feelings about the situation. Somewhere along the line this turned into The Corona Diary project which has become the must-have book of the period.

Vic started posting videos about the project on social media, which helped him reach more and more people until he finally pressed stop and self-published the book, signing, packaging and posting each one.

He’s recently donated £5000 of his own money to the charity FareShare UK as a way of saying thank you to all his readers.

This interview is split into 2 parts.

In Part 1 you'll discover:

• How 3D art influences his illustration work
• Vic's typography & fonts influence
• Why Vic doesn’t follow the '3 font rule'
• The tools he uses
• How his illustrated diaries are a way to record his own travels
• How a book he read predicted the Covid pandemic
• Why he recorded a YouTube video to encourage children to draw their own diaries
• How a difficult childhood influenced his passion for drawing
• Why illustration was his internal therapy
• How life after the Covid lockdown will effect the way we go forward
• Why the lockdown was Vic’s ’sabbatical from life'
• The one thing he’s learnt during lockdown
• Why he decided to stop drawing and hit publish

This interview is split into two parts – the first is geared towards creative entrepreneurs – with part 2 focusing on how businesses can harness video marketing.

Dennis Morrison is a serial entrepreneur, business storyteller and founder of Audience Magnet, which helps businesses and professionals to communicate authentically and effectively.

When he’s not lecturing in post production at The London Film Academy, Central film School or Ravensbourne University, he’s helping business owners and digital creators find their own unique voice through his 'Find Your Story' program.

Dennis has worked in the Film & TV industry for over 30 years, and has created branded content for companies like Diesel, L'Oréal and Red Bull. He’s consulted on numerous video projects for various companies, helping them develop their video strategies and build their audience. He is a business mentor and marketing story strategist.

Dennnis says, 'The truth is that storytelling can be learned like any other skill or technique. But you need an experienced guide to break down the structures of communications and storytelling, into a step-by-step system that you can start using immediately in your business. Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned marketing pro.'

In part one of this interview, Dennis talks honestly about the options for film students post-uni, how Dennis learned the hard way what it takes to make it as a creative entrepreneur and how to develop a business mindset when it comes to money.

You'll discover:

• How Dennis learned the hard lessons of being an entrepreneur
• How being an extra on a film set changed everything
• Why it’s not about the tech - it’s about understanding critical thinking
• Why your pricing structure is hugely important
• How he learned to edit on a Steenbeck
• How to get started as a creative entrepreneur
• Why you make the decision to become entrepreneurial
• Why creatives can struggle when they leave university
• What happens when the job market is saturated for creatives
• Why there's a lack of diversity of thought
• Why it’s not about the gear to get the gig
• How to get results by following a framework

James Lee is a director and photographer based in Richmond Virginia. He runs Journey Seven – a creative video & photography business with a purpose to specialise in working with non-profits and NGOs.

At the age of 19, James knew that being an entrepreneur was the only way he could pursue his dreams so for the past fourteen years, James has been through familiar successes, failures and the challenges of running a businesses day-to-day. He knows how important it is for other businesses and organisations to have reliable partners to collaborate with – especially in the creative field. His values include thoughtful communication, responsibility, guidance, and the continual improvement of both character and craft.

He recently got married during the first weeks of lockdown in the US and has since been working on a series of Covid-related films for the community at large.

In this interview James talks about how he approaches documentary journalistic filmmaking and why companies should be making themselves more vulnerable to connect with their audience and customers.

You'll discover:

• How to improve your workflow efficiency
• Why documentary storytelling is detective work
• Why he doesn’t find out too much about a subject first
• How small businesses can help each other in the current climate
• Why being a wedding photographer is a good training ground
• How listening to your team can really help you
• Why it’s important to listen to people when you’re interviewing them
• The power of transcription software like Rev
• The secret to balancing budgets with non-profits & NGOs
• How to price yourself working with a non-profit
• Why your unique qualities gives more value to a client
• How vulnerability and trust are key to how brands use video
• Why the discipline of hard work will make or break a business
• How James manages to maintain a zero inbox
• Why you should only take what you can eat from a buffet

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Video Talks helps creators, business owners and marketers learn from experts in their field to make the right decisions when it comes to making, using and commissioning video in all its forms – with your host, director Andy Greenhouse. 

Chris Evans Roberts is an award winning creative composer, sound designer, light artist and founder and Managing Director of Ithaca Studio.

Ithaca combine art, music and technology to make innovative experiences with sound and light. Founded in 2010, Ithaca became known worldwide for audio-visual remix and music production, winning multiple awards in audio, advertising and interactive video.

In 2014 Ithaca’s work expanded into sound and light installation and light art. Ithaca have been shortlisted for the darc Architectural Lighting Awards and the Lumen Prize for Digital Art. Recent light art commissions include works at heritage sites including Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Blenheim Palace and Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh.

Ithaca work across both traditional and experiential advertising along with events industries.

This interview was recorded on a beach in Brighton, UK before the COVID pandemic.
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Video Talks helps creators, business owners and marketers learn from experts in their field to make the right decisions when it comes to making, using and commissioning video in all its forms – with your host, director Andy Greenhouse. 

Video Talks Podcast: Episode 06
Hasraf HaZ Dulull began his career as a VFX compositor, moving to producing and supervising VFX teams. After a period of creating several sci-fi short films, in 2017 he directed his debut sci-fi indie feature film - THE BEYOND, which premiered at #2 on the iTunes charts, before trending on Netflix. His second feature film 2036: ORIGIN UNKNOWN, which starred Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica, Another Life) had a limited theatrical release in the US before also landing on Netflix. 

In this interview (split into two separate episodes) – loaded with advice for aspiring and established filmmakers and creators, HaZ breaks down how his start in a video games company led him to venture into movie VFX for films like The Dark Knight and ultimately go it alone with a carefully planned vision to make his first feature film.

HaZ used every trick in the ‘thinking outside the box’ book to go from compositor to eventual movie director.  

In Part #1 he takes us through the journey of his career, his unique casting process, how he built up a wealth of contacts in the film industry, working with an investor, finding sponsorship to fund projects and so much more valuable wisdom.

The interview is split into two parts so it’s more easily digestible. There were so many nuggets of gold from HaZ that it felt wrong to cut it down.

You'll learn...

• How HaZ built an audience online
• Why you should bring sound design and music into the process early
• How independent film sales companies can help you define your next film subject
• How to shape your movie into a commercially viable film
• How he created his fly-on-the-wall online course with behind the scenes and b-roll footage
• The best bit of advice he’s ever been given
• How to finish a project
• How to clear you mind so you can see things in a fresh light.
• Why you can’t always fix it in post
• Why you should always have a plan – whether a meeting or a film shoot.
• How to get through an animation block
• How HaZ made an animated film using gaming tech Unreal Engine
• Why virtual production is the major buzzword of the moment
• How reaching out to podcasts and filmmaking websites can accelerate you marketing

Jump to...

• 04:46 Haz's career journey
• 10:19 Short film Project Kronos goes viral
• 12:40 Developing & making his first feature The Beyond
• 18:06 Marketing & the success of his debut feature
• 24:26 Marketing tips for filmmakers
• 27:00 The importance of audio in your films
• 29:12 Making 2036: Origin Unknown
• 32:05 Casting actors
• 40:02 Early influences and education
• 46:25 The best bit of advice he's been given
• 48:12 Essential habits for productivity

Tom Box is co-founder of the internationally-acclaimed BAFTA award-winning animation studio Blue Zoo. In this incredibly layered interview, Tom delves into the mindset and values of what built Blue Zoo into one of the most successful animation companies in the UK, how animation has changed over his career and what makes a successful business.

You'll learn how Blue Zoo went from 3 uni-graduates to an internationally successful animation business with over 200 staff. He talks openly about challenges he’s faced and how the value he places on his team members ensures the best productivity and motivation. In 2018 Blue Zoo opened a brand new online democratic community course for animators to learn techniques of 3D animation, called Animdojo. They were still hiring staff during the Coronavirus pandemic!

This was one of the first interviews recorded for Video Talks.
I hope you enjoy this deep dive into Tom’s creative journey.

Video Talks Podcast : Episode 01
Video Talks helps creators, marketers and businesses learn from experts in their field (of vision) to make the right decisions when it comes to making, using and commissioning the power of video in all its forms.

In this episode I introduce the Video Talks podcast and explain my background – as a creative director in magazine publishing, while hosting film events and festivals to now, running a successful video agency since 2013.

Inspiring interviews with leaders in video across the sphere of moving image, across social media video, YouTube, advertising, animation, video marketing, corporate video and brand stories – with me your host, Andy Greenhouse.

Run VT...